Back in April, there was an announcement of an event "Though Seasons Change ~Violet Evergarden Piano Memories~ Piano Concert" to commemorate the launch of the piano album "Though Seasons Change - Violet Evergarden Piano Memories". I had tried and failed to get a ticket during the first round of balloting, but got lucky and managed to get a ticket when it was opened for general sales.
The concert itself was held on July 16 and 17, 2022 at Kawaguchiko Enkei Hall, which can house up to 100 people. There are two sessions each day, with Sato Koichi (who performed the pieces in the piano album) playing at the afternoon session of each day, and Morioka Shiho playing at the evening session each day. Since I already have the piano album, I thought I would listen to Morioka's performance instead, so I got the ticket for the evening session on July 16.
Well, it turned out to be... wet. It was raining when I attended the orchestra concert in 2021. This time, there was a storm. It was a miracle I made it to and fro in one piece, especially with the heavy storm during the return at night on poorly lit expressways.
The hall itself is in Yamanashi Prefecture, which is also the setting for Yuru Camp. In fact, there was a Yuru Camp: Movie event on the very same day, and during a break during the drive there, I stopped by a store which was selling Yuru Camp snacks.
On the way, I also visited Asama Shrine, which was about 10 minutes by car from the concert hall. Except that it wasn't any fun visiting a shrine in the rain.
There were some really really huge Japanese cypress tress at the shrine.
The concert venue itself was a small and cozy place.
Made of wood and concrete, it has a dome roof.
This was the piano used for the performance.
The performance itself took place in three broad parts. First were mainly pieces from the anime series and Gaiden movie. This was followed by a 15-minute break, and the second part which was pieces from the 2020 movie. Finally, music producer Saito Shigeru came out to talk a bit about this event and showed an video of an interview with composer Evan Call.
Morioka Shiho performed these pieces during the first part:
- Theme of Violet Evergarden
- Sincerely
- A Doll's Beginning
- A Simple Mission
- Another Sunny Day
- Back in Business
- The Voice in My Heart
- Across the Violet Sky
- Always Watching Over You
- Letters From Heaven
- Wherever You Are, Wherever You May Be
- Fractured Heart
- What It Means To Love
- One Last Message
- Violet's Letter
- Michishirube
- Violet and Isabella
- Amy
After the break, she played these pieces during the second part:
- Discovering the Past
- The Legacy of Violet Evergarden
- A New Era Begins
- A Young Boy's Last Wish
- The Hardships of Gilbert Bougainvillea
- Tears in the Rain
- Violet's Final Letter
- Echo Through Eternity
- Her Spirit Lives On
- WILL
- Violet Snow
"Sincerely", "Michishirube", "Amy", "WILL", and "Violet Snow" are not in the piano album, so it was nice to be able to hear the piano versions. I like how the first part played out with "Sincerely" and "Michishirube" being used at the start and end, just like their places as the opening and ending themes for the anime series. As well as "Amy" being used to close the first part, since it was also the theme song for the Gaiden movie. And just like the 2020 movie, "WILL" came in at the credit roll, and "Violet Snow" was used to round of the entire performance, just like the orchestra concert.
When the concert ended, the rain had let up a bit.
Or so I thought. Because the moment I reached the expressway, it poured like a waterfall. The two-hour drive back in the storm with poor visibility, poorly lit expressways, and trucks that sped past me was... harrowing.
Personally, I think Morioka Shiho's rendition of the pieces was not as good as the pieces you hear in the piano album (played by Sato Koichi). I think this could be due to her age (being in her early 20s), which means she lacks a bit of the life experiences to be able to fully convey all those emotions in these pieces. Also, her slender arms also meant that some of the parts, which required a bit more power, were somewhat lacking. But I also tell myself that I have my own copies of the piano album (yes... don't ask me how many I bought 😅) and can always listen to the rendition by Sato Koichi (which I really like).
Looking forward to the next event!
My overall thoughts on Violet Evergarden The Movie.
Events:
Translations of short stories:
The Tailor and the Auto-Memories Doll (unofficial translation of 仕立て屋と自動手記人形) Gilbert Bougainvillea and the Fleeting Dream (unofficial translation of "ギルベルト・ブーゲンビリアと儚い夢")
Violet Evergarden short stories: "Logbook entry" and "Diary entry" (unofficial translation)
The Starry Night and the Lonely Two (unofficial translation of 星降りの夜とさみしいふたり)
Diethard Bougainvillea's If (unofficial translation of ディートフリート・ブーゲンビリアIf) Insights on the movie:
Audio commentary notes:
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